Aerith in Wonderland
by Neona Nyx
Summary: "I'm not mad!" "yes, you are and do you know how I know that? We're all mad here." ... We're all mad here... We're all mad here... But was she really mad? Was this all a dream or real? None of this can't really be happening to her... right? maybe she was a little mad like everyone else.
1. Chapter 1

Laughter echoed throughout the grounds as everyone came together for a joyish occasion. Ladies in brightly colored skirts fluttered across the grass in hopes that they would catch a husband; though they flirted in a way that didn't horrify their mothers. Well except for a lone girl in a light blue dress, who was far away from the crowd. Not wanted anyone to see the heartbroken expression on her face. Especially her mother who expected her to hear of a proposal by now, that the man courting her for months now was going to make her his wife.

But when she saw the man who was playing her like a fiddle proposing to another woman; and the proud look on the faces of family and friends as they cheered for the happy couple while celebrating this private event- as they were the first to know.

It was only a matter of time before everyone here knew too and that she would become the laughing stock of the whole country. Not to mention that her mother would be so disappointed… and Aerith Gainsborough didn't know what would happen if her mother saw another relationship fail.

"_I should have sent you to that school," _her mother's words echoed after the first man decided to go to America. See Aerith didn't act like the other ladies of London. She didn't like gossiping and being stuck indoors for most of the day. She loved to run through the gardens and help out around the house. She didn't care if her dresses were stained from the grass and mud. And she never really expected a prince-or lord- to come around or to fall in love.

She wasn't heartbroken with the first man, he was only the son of a family friend her mother wanted her to marry. So Aerith didn't feel anything when he packed up and left; she even went to the docks to wave goodbye at him. Showing him that there were no hard feelings, at least on her part. Her mother was a different story. The women was absolutely livid.

Part of her mother kept pushing men onto her that weren't interested, while the other part almost gave up on her daughter finding a husband. Aerith was pretty sure that her mother was going to send her away and forget about her. Have her join a convent, and allow Aerith to live out the rest of her life alone.

At least until he entered their lives. when Aerith met Genesis Rhapsodos, she thought him kind and intelligent. That he was the only man who didn't care about what she did, that he was interested in the girl who didn't like sitting around all day gossiping and other… girl things- his words not her's.

it disgusted Aerith to know that Genesis managed to worm his way into her heart, and here he was destroying it. That he was only playing with her, all those talks about love really meant nothing to him. That he enjoyed seeing her lovesick expressions and how he had her eating out of the palm of his hand.

Just thinking about Genesis and his trickery made the tears fall from her eyes, causing Aerith to turn away from Genesis and his bride to be- Minvera.A pretty blonde haired woman; about a year younger than Aerith herself, Minvera was a cunning creature who enjoyed bring people up only to tear them down. Like Aerith, they were friends and Aerith told Minvera everything. Secrets about her… along with her relationship with Genesis.

Maybe they were perfect together. They were both cruel creatures. And they both managed to tear Aerith's heart into pieces.

"I'm such an idiot…" Aerith cried, hating how naive she was at Twenty-three. She thought that her life was all figured out… maybe it would have been better if she had stayed away from men forever. Not to allow her self to fall for a wicked man.

"She's too close, big brother," Aerith heard a voice whine, "if another outsider finds the portal- Ow!"

More hushed voices… voices that sounded close. Voices that surrounded her. It made Aerith pause to try and find the source of the voices. But she was alone. At least that's what she was telling herself, but the hair on the back of her neck rose up and she could feel someone or something watching her. Even though it was silent now, or so she thought

"Or we can use her as our scapegoat," one of the voices said, "have her distract big brother so he won't be angry with us for running away when the Queen's resistance attacked."

"It could buy us time," another voice replied.

"Hello," Aerith said, against her better judgment, "is someone there?"

"We could use her as a vessel for mother too, couldn't we my brothers?"

The voices started to blend together as she was roughly pushed towards the ground. Aerith didn't have time to scream as she descends down into the dirt… only her face never hit the hard ground. Instead, she felt like she kept on falling… and falling


	2. Chapter 2

It was like a nightmare, but she couldn't explain it. everything was happening so quickly that things flew past her gaze as she feels deeper and deeper inside the earth. It was all happening so fast that she couldn't really question what was going on with her subconscious, she was to busy screaming her head off. Begging to have someone to help her, though she wasn't sure how. Maybe have something catch her or wake her up from this falling nightmare.

She screamed one last time as she saw a light swallow everything up…

Aerith didn't know what would happen to her or where she would end up. Would she keep falling?

She was not expecting to finally land, well she still fell to her knees and she did feel some pain. _What the heck? _Very curious and strange dream she seemed to be having, Aerith was sure that someone was pulling a prank on her and that when she was pushed, it ended up knocking her out. Yeah, that's what happened so jerk caused to fall unconscious and now she was dreaming.

Still… everything felt and looked so real to her. She could even smell something strange, almost like flowers mixed in with something sweet. It reminded her of those days where Aerith and her mother would have Tea in the garden, the days where the cooks always make these tiny cakes. a familiar scent in a sublime world and it frightened her. Especially when she learned that she was trapped in a door and windowless room. What made matters worse is that she looked up to see that the way she came in was now an ordinary ceiling that caged her in this room.

A room only lit by these strange dim lights, not candlelight it was something else… something that upon further inspection almost appeared alive. Small balls of light moved around a glass jar. Though Aerith couldn't find a reasonable explanation for this or a name for these strange lights.

The room also had this brown colored walls, though if it was another color entirely Aerith couldn't tell because of the dimness of the lights. Then there was the only other thing besides her that was in this room.

The room itself was small by her standards, though it looked about the size of some of the servants quarters she's been in (both at her home and others). Though unlike the quarters which usually had beds and some sort of trunk, this room only had one iron and glass table and a white chair covered in death flowers and leaves. The room was just so… bizarre. And it started to make her lose her head as she frantically tried to find a way out.

She tried everything from screaming for help and banging on the walls but it did nothing to help her out of her current situation. She couldn't even pitch herself and wake up back at the party. No matter what she did nothing helped, no one suddenly appeared to recuse her. She was completely alone and trapped.

What's going on? If this was a dream she should be in control of it; she should have found a way out already. Shouldn't she, people ought to have control over what happens in dreams, since it was all created by one's imagination. So why wouldn't this place obey her? Why won't it change to suit her needs? To have a door magically appear so she could get out of here.

_You're not dreaming…_

Aerith shook that voice away she continued her search for a way out or some sort of clue that will open the room up. Still, there was nothing besides the table, chair, and Aerith herself. And she wanted to cry out in frustration, but it wouldn't help. She knew that but that didn't do anything to stop herself from panicking or the tears that started to fall from their eyes.

She needed to get out of here! She wanted to go home, wanted the comfort the Gainsborough Manor and her mother- no matter how disappointed she was at her daughter. Why couldn't she wake up yet!

"Please, let me wake up," she muttered to herself, then she heard something. Something moving around the room. Like little running feet followed by scraping noses was there a mouse or something in here. If there was a hole in the wall somewhere maybe she could find a way to get out of here. Break the wall or something like that, then again who knows how much help that would be. Now that she thought about it more there really wasn't much she could do.

Still, it was better than nothing.

And that's when she felt it a slight breeze below her knees and finally saw a way to escape.

_Where did that come from? _She thought, and at the same time, she noticed something about the opening. There was a door in this room however no human could fit through it. It almost seemed like something a only a small dog or cat could walk through. Aerith couldn't really fit anything except her arm out the tiny door.

This place was just getting stranger and stranger; Aerith really didn't know what she should think and what to believe. How could a door be that small? Would walking through the door finally make her wake up from this vivid and strange dream? But how couldn's she even get through it?

Standing up the door came up to her knees plus her long flowy dress was too wide because of all the layers she was forced to wear with her more… formal clothing. Why couldn't she just think and cause her clothes to magically change into something not only more comfortable but easier to walk in, though at the same time even if she was able to do that much she doubted it would help. She would still be stuck.

As she leaned down to look out she heard another nose, only instead of scurrying feet,v she heard something hit the table would a loud _clink. _Which not only made Aerith just but also made her quickly turn around. Again she expected to see something in the room with her but there wasn't anyone else here with her.

Though there was something else that was different much like the strange door a small glass bottle appeared on the table. A bottle with this odd blue liquid in it that seemed to glow in the dim light.

_**Drink me, **_a note said. A note that was hanging off the bottle by a brown thread. The cap of the bottle was already loose and Aerith tested it, not sure what it was but she knew one thing she wasn't going to drink it. She didn't want to, though at the same time something was telling her that it wasn't going to harm her so why shouldn't she drink it.

Aerith's throat felt dry, and it was hard to swallow.

_So drink it, it will quench your thirst._

She swallowed as she saw herself slowly remove the loose cap, watched as a hand brings the bottle closer to her face. And finally, she felt her head tip back as something warm hit her tongue.

She wanted to know what she was doing. She wanted to spit out the strange liquid but it was too late it was already working her way down her throat. Then a strange feeling came over her and it scared her. Especially since it appeared that the room was starting to grow and for some reason, the wallpaper turned into this light blue… fabric… strange.

At least that's what she thought until she looked down and how she was no longer wearing her light blue dress and that she now stood inside what appeared to be her own shoe.

What on earth was going on now, she thought as she tried her best to climb out of her shoe without hurting herself… it didn't work out too well.

"Ouch!" she called out, even though she was alone and that no one was here to hear or even help her. Though at the moment she didn't want any due to the state she was in. especially since her underclothes, like her dress, were now too big for her. At least she was lucky enough to be able to forge some new clothes out of her outfit from tears and the ribbons on her dress… makeshift clothes that would have to do for now.

Impressed with her work while making sure that it would cover her enough and stay on, Aerith slowly made her way to the small door. Now small enough for her to fit through.

_I wasn't expecting this, _Aerith thought as she looked around her. There was no house and if it weren't for the steps leading up to the door and the door itself it was the only indicator that the room existed. Because past the door was like the rest of the landscape was just a giant forest of flowers from roses and lilies, and some others that Aerith herself hasn't grown before but her bright emerald eyes stared out in awe at the sight and colors before her. It was like walking through the gardens as a child. They sunny days where her mother cased her through the mazes of vines and blossoms.

But her mother wasn't here and she wasn't a little girl anymore.

So with a deep breath, she slowly walked down the stone steps and into the forest of flowers.


End file.
